This study provides new research on environmental goods trade. It outlines the regional and global landscape for trade in environmental goods, providing a snapshot of existing frameworks and discussions in APEC and other plurilateral and multilateral forums. It examines the treatment of environmental goods in emerging bilateral, regional and multilateral trade arrangements, including in terms of tariff levels.

The study identifies 21 new and emerging environmental goods and technologies not covered by the 2012 APEC List of Environmental Goods (EGL) that could be considered in an expanded EGL or a new reference list of environmental goods, and offers a possible set of inclusion and exclusion criteria for determining the environmental credentials of a particular good.

The paper concludes with an assessment of the possible benefits for APEC economies of more open trade in environmental goods and offers a set of potential next steps for APEC to take to expand trade in new and emerging environmental goods.